going off to college, need help deciding what parts to get before i go
science_geek
Posts: 247
Im going off to college on september 3rd. I would really like to take some of my projects with me, but i know that i will have a lot of time to play around a little bit. I was wondering what parts(ie. sensors, adc's, components) i should buy before i go. My current project is a program to controll my cnc mill, so things that revolve around that would be cool. Any ideas would be appreciated.
List of parts I was thinking about:
1. Sensirion temp/hum sensor
2. GPS sensor
3. a few more force sensing resistors
4. another 4 channel adc
·
List of parts I was thinking about:
1. Sensirion temp/hum sensor
2. GPS sensor
3. a few more force sensing resistors
4. another 4 channel adc
·
Comments
Ha! That's what I thought. I set a goal: finish my robot by Christmas. Then it was spring break. Then summer... College is a time eater.
Anyway, it's not really a decision that somebody else can make for you. All I can suggest is don't bring a UAV soarer. Your roommate might feel a bit cramped.
SRLM is right ,College is a "Time eater"
I would invest in a good laptop with as many COM ports as possible. The more ports the better.
Their is nothing more frustrating than not being able to talk to a device because you don't have a port to use.
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The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA
You've got to be kidding me, right?
I mean.... unless this is your thirteenth year of college and you still haven't got that PhD you've been working on so long...
My advice: take your toothbrush and a pack of Trojans. After college, you'll have the rest of your life to hunch over a desk topped with chips and wire.
ElectricAye, you've got to be kidding me, right?
That is horrible advice(save for the condom).
Think about it, what if he (as he goes thru college) makes something, or invents something that will make him rich, to the point that college is pointless?
Never give up physically working with electronics, you won't regret it.
And when your stumped, those are times when that condom might come in handy as a way to get your mind off your electronic problem, because ideas/solutions tend to come to us in our downtime.
Never give up learning for sex, drugs, and college. (as if we actually LEARN anything IN college)
If he didn't bring all this with him, he may not learn a thing,
and be yet another useless drone with a degree.
-make sure you have an accellerometer
-an o-scope (if you can afford parallax's)
-A PACK OF ASSORTED RESISTORS! (big pack)
-BREADBOARD!
-encoders(all mill machines use these on their motors or tables)
-Piezo Film Vibra Tab Mass (senses travel stop on mill machine)
-heck get the Introduction to Sensors Kit, if you can.
-power supply with adjustable voltage outputs.
-rfid could allow you to construct some kind of automatic doorlock/alarm/monitoring system for those thieving roommates.
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Tia'Shar Manetheren
Yeah, right. That will surely make you popular when it goes off by accident at 3 AM and you're out of town at a Nerd convention.
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Computers are microcontrolled.
Robots are microcontrolled.
I am microcontrolled.
But you·can·call me micro.
If it's not Parallax then don't even bother.
I have changed my avatar so that I will no longer be confused with others who use generic avatars (and I'm more of a Prop head then a BS2 nut, anyway)
Okay, so maybe I should have said, "Yeah right - that will surely enhance your chances for survival when it goes off by accident at 3 AM..."
CheckDoorLock if rfidTag == roomMate or rfid == me if doingItFlag ActivateGoAwayNoise ElectrifyKnob else UnlockDoorAhem. The proper term according to the US military is "prophylactics". www.usariem.army.mil/download/somalia.pdf
Post Edited (SRLM) : 8/21/2009 5:07:27 AM GMT
Get a lockable toolbox and then chain it to a suitable fixture in your room
A normal scope will be too big so get a USB scope. I use a smallish scope (TDS2014B)
and even it would be too big in a cramped dorm room.
So, laptop, USB scope, lockable toolbox full of parts and tools.
(actually, I'm certain you already have the most important parts for fun and success at school.. LoL)
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- Some mornings I wake up cranky.....but usually I just let him sleep in -
I almost miss my old room... I never had a problem with security (except loaning tools out). YMMV. So, I guess the point is that with a little bit of effort you can get a full workshop in your dorm. Just don't do any soldering indoors!
Ergonomic!
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That picture is pretty much the way I remember college life - without the PC of course. We had one Apple ][noparse][[/noparse] at school that we could play with and the IBM PC came out the year I graduated. I like the food and fridge handy to the work space too. It also makes me feel like my current work space is huge!
Thanks for the flashback!
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Whit+
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney
I like the bath mat hanging in the foreground. What on earth were you hiding behind THAT?
Answers the Church Lady, "Troooooojans?"
It's actually on my roommate's side of the room. For the photos, I basically held the camera against the wall and took a picture in the general direction. It was pretty difficult because my roommate wasn't very organized. Although I'll admit, hidden behind the mat is my custom building monitor screen that is the hacked window into all internet connections, wireless ID tracking, and CCTV cameras.If housing saw it they'd frown upon it... [noparse]:)[/noparse]
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[noparse][[/noparse]url=http://www.squidoo.com/-Bunk-beds]-Bunk-beds[noparse][[/noparse]/url]
For the next four years or so, you will be moving often. Why load yourself up with a lot of baggage that will have to be transported each time? Instead, order stuff when needed, but stock nothing.
Besides, the whole purpose of going off to college is to learn new things, including whole new areas of interest. Some of these may come to prevail to so great an extent that your interest diminishes in the things you enjoy now. Then you'd be stuck with a lot of garbage to haul around but never look at.
I speak from experience!
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· -- Carl, nn5i@arrl.net
You have some competition that the others didn't have " Haggai and Habib"...from India. Be a slacker and they will get the good work. You'll end up designing electronic. toilets!!!!!
You can't learn it all, But You can learn more than the rest if You put Your mind to it.
Be prepared.
Do You want to be the average Joe, or Science_geek , The super Geek????
___________$WMc%_______
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The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA
You'll have a mentor AND a place to work, for sure.
Go for it.
EDIT: That idea is patent pending, so don't steal it.
Best answer yet!
And I just love how you make the professor doing the cool cutting-edge stuff a her
This would make a great storyline for a 'chick-flick'.
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- Some mornings I wake up cranky.....but usually I just let him sleep in -
It's actually a microwave. We're not allowed to have "open element heating appliances" in the dorms, which includes things like toasters and soldering irons. Makes it hard to cook anything...
Didn't mean to lower any ones importance's.
If You look at the Engineers that worked on the space shuttle's toilet, They made their money! $$$ Something like $1.8 million
Your Toilet patent is safe as well!...
___________$WMc%_______
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The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA